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Jeremy Lane

NFC Notes: Fairley, Packers, Lane, Lions

June 17th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Fairley‘s heart issue has stalled his career to the point the Saints are preparing for this season as if the recently re-signed defensive tackle won’t play, Larry Holder of NOLA.com reports. Last we heard, the 29-year-old defender was getting a third opinion on the condition. Fairley signed a four-year, $28MM deal to stay in New Orleans in March. But if he’s not going to play this season, Holder notes the Saints are going to be at a loss. They used 2016 fourth-rounder David Onyemata alongside Sheldon Rankins on the first-string defense during minicamp, but Holder notes the starting nose tackle will probably be Tyeler Davison, a 2015 fifth-rounder who started 15 games last season. Davison is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

Here’s the latest from around the NFC.

  • Davante Adams has shot to the top of the Packers‘ 2018 UFA contingent after a breakout 2016 season, one that also includes Morgan Burnett, center Corey Linsley and guard Lane Taylor, Rob Reischel writes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This could mean Randall Cobb faces a pivotal season, with Reischel noting the Packers could elect to prioritize an Adams deal and move on from Cobb despite his young age. The slot target will only be 27 this season, but Cobb recorded a modest (for him) 60-catch, 610-yard season. He’s signed through 2018 and has cap numbers of $12.6MM and $12.7MM this season and next, respectively.
  • The Seahawks have a pair of cornerbacks that have suffered severe injuries in recent years, but while DeShawn Shead rehabs, Jeremy Lane looks like the starter opposite Richard Sherman. Pete Carroll said Shead is recovering well from the ACL and meniscus tears sustained in January, but with the re-signed player unlikely to be ready for Week 1, the team may be turning to Lane. “He’s physically as fit as he’s been in a long time,” Carroll said, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “Remember, he had a really difficult offseason a couple years back (following knee and arm injuries in Super Bowl XLIX) and it’s taken him almost a couple years to overcome all of that, and he’s back to full form.” The Seahawks drafted Shaquil Griffin in the third round and moved rookie sixth-rounder Mike Tyson from safety to corner, but those first-year talents look to enter camp as depth pieces behind Lane.
  • Once Taylor Decker suffered a shoulder injury that will keep him out up to six months, the Lions gave first-team left tackle reps to Joe Dahl. The second-year player worked as a guard in six games last season. But after the additions of Greg Robinson and Cyrus Kouandjio, Dahl seems on his way back to guard, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. Neither Robinson nor Kouandjio participated in Detroit’s minicamp, but Jim Caldwell confirmed they will compete for the now-vacant left tackle job come training camp. A fifth-round pick last year, Dahl would then be in line to compete for a guard spot with Graham Glasgow and Laken Tomlinson opposite T.J. Lang.

Contract Details: Sanu, Lane, Harris, Jones

March 10th, 2016 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are some of the latest details on recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFL.

  • Mohamed Sanu, WR (Falcons): Five years, $32.5MM. $14MM guaranteed. $7MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $1MM, $6MM, $6MM, $6MM, $6.5MM. (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, on Twitter). Can earn additional $1.25MM based on receptions, per ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (on Twitter).
  • Jeremy Lane, CB (Seahawks): Four years, $23MM. $11MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $2MM, $4MM, $6MM, $6MM (Twitter link via Wilson). $7MM fully guaranteed. Lane’s $4MM salary in 2017 guaranteed in February 2017, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).
  • Mike Harris, OL (Vikings): One year, $2MM. $500K of $1.9MM base salary fully guaranteed. $100K workout bonus. (via Wilson, on Twitter). Can earn $1.05MM in incentives, per Pelissero (on Twitter).
  • Mason Foster, ILB (Washington): Two years, $2.5MM. $350K signing bonus. Can earn $1.6MM in playing-time incentives, per Pelissero (on Twitter).
  • Adam Jones, CB (Bengals): Three years, $24MM. $16MM in 2016-17, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (on Twitter).
  • Kellen Clemens, QB (Chargers): One year, $1.065MM. $80K roster bonus, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (on Twitter).

Seahawks Re-Sign Jeremy Lane To Four-Year Deal

March 10th, 2016 at 10:07am CST by Connor J. Byrne

THURSDAY, 10:07am: It’s a four-year deal worth $23MM with $11MM guaranteed, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 10:07pm: The Seahawks have officially announced the signing, tweets Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.

7:46pm: The Seahawks and cornerback Jeremy Lane have agreed to a four-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Financial details of the contract are currently unavailable.

Lane, 25, joined the Seahawks as a sixth-round pick in 2012. He hasn’t garnered a ton of playing time since then, however, missing 23 of Jeremy Lanea possible 64 regular-season games and totaling only six starts.

Lane sat out the Seahawks’ first 10 games last season after breaking his arm and tearing his ACL in February 2015 on an interception in the club’s Super Bowl XLIX loss to the Patriots. The 6-foot, 184-pounder also missed nine games in 2014. Still, he recorded the first two regular-season INTs of his career during the 2015-16 campaign and ranked 51st out of 111 qualifying corners at Pro Football Focus, and he’s a good bet to start full-time opposite Richard Sherman going forward.

Lane is the second key defensive cog to re-sign with the Seahawks this week, joining tackle Ahtyba Rubin. However, fellow defenders Bruce Irvin (linebacker) and Brandon Mebane (DT) joined the Raiders and Chargers, respectively.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Panthers, Lions, Greenway, Eagles

February 19th, 2016 at 9:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers are adding former 49ers special teams coach Thomas McGaughey to their staff as a special teams assistant, a source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Carolina head coach Ron Rivera wanted to hire a young special teams coach to assist coordinator Bruce DeHaven, who has been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. The team also interviewed former Bucs assistant Kevin O’Dea and ex-Panthers linebacker Chase Blackburn for the job.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • On the heels of the news that the Lions will release linebacker Stephen Tulloch, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that another veteran starter, safety James Ihedigbo, will be “gone” as well. Ihedigbo is eligible for free agency this winter, so Rapoport’s tweet suggests the 32-year-old won’t be re-signing with the Lions.
  • Echoing comments he made after the Vikings‘ season ended in January, linebacker Chad Greenway said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he’d like to return to Minnesota for another season, as Alex Marvez of FOX Sports details. Assuming the Vikings re-sign Greenway, it will likely be one final year before he retires.
  • The Eagles and college scouting coordinator Matt Lindsey have mutually agreed to part ways, per a report from FootballScoop.com (on Twitter). As Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic tweets, this leaves Philly without a college scouting director or college scouting coordinator right before the combine.
  • Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link), cornerback Jeremy Lane said today that he’d love to re-sign with the Seahawks this winter, pointing to the fact that Seattle gave him his “first crack” in the NFL. Lane, a sixth-round pick in 2012, is eligible for free agency this offseason.

Seahawks Activate Jeremy Lane, Cut Bryce Brown

November 28th, 2015 at 4:18pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Seahawks have activated cornerback Jeremy Lane off the physically unable to perform list in advance of their Week 12 game, the team announced today in a press release. To create room on the 53-man roster for Lane, the club has waived running back Bryce Brown for the second time in the last seven days.

Lane, 25, last saw the field in the Super Bowl, when he broke his arm and tore his ACL on an interception return, forcing him to undergo multiple offseason surgeries. The former sixth-round pick has appeared in 35 regular season contests and another eight playoff games since joining the Seahawks in 2012, but that Super Bowl interception was the first of his career — it turned out to be a costly one.

As for Brown, the former Eagles and Bills running back has now had two stints on Seattle’s roster this season, but neither has resulted in any game action for him. This time around, he wasn’t even on the Seahawks’ roster for a game, having been re-signed on Tuesday and waived today.

NFC Notes: Saints, Romo, Panthers, Kelly, Lane

November 26th, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean Payton addressed the Saints‘ firing of Rob Ryan and handing over the defensive coordinator reins to Dennis Allen, noting New Orleans’ No. 32-ranked defense’s lack of preparation played a key role in the vocal DC’s exit.

“There were a few things that you looked at from a year ago when you said look, we can’t have X number of snaps with not the right number of guys on the field,” Payton told media, including NOLA.com’s Larry Holder. “You can’t burn timeouts every other week because we cannot get the right personnel on the field. We can’t have guys looking left and right at the snap of the ball.”

The Saints’ defensive coordinator since 2013 after stints with the Raiders, Browns and Cowboys, the 52-year-old Ryan has only coordinated one defense to the playoffs — the Saints in his initial season in New Orleans. He’s reportedly a candidate for the Tulane head-coaching job, however.

Ryan’s lack of proper adjustments posed an issue for Payton as well.

“We had to look at, hey, as teams have changed offensively, we’ve got to have some flexibility and find a way to reduce the variation on defense,” Payton said. “We’ve got to find a way to get a call in and play a defense without it being a panic where guys are late getting lined up.”

Let’s look at some more news from the NFC as Thanksgiving night commences.

  • Prior to Tony Romo‘s return from short-term IR last week in Miami, Jerry Jones disclosed the 13th-year quarterback suffered six fractures from the initial collarbone injury, per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Romo re-injuring his clavicle Thursday provided another chapter in this season-defining saga for the Cowboys, one that the aforementioned revelation of six fractures may have been worse than the team initially let on, Werder writes.
  • After acting condescending and arrogantly in the wake of the Eagles‘ three-game losing streak, Chip Kelly‘s Philadelphia tenure should end despite the promise of his breakthrough methods, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com writes. Frank notes Kelly’s behavior’s turned a city against him and flies in the face of Jeffrey Lurie‘s concern for public perception and a likable coach.
  • Former Panthers GM Marty Hurney‘s imprint remains large on the 11-0 squad’s roster, with the since-fired GM bringing in the core of the team — Luke Kuechly, Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, etc. — and Ron Rivera. Pro Football Talk’s Darin Gantt writes that while Hurney’s salary cap decisions disrupted future Carolina financial decisions, owner Jerry Richardson refused to allow him to sign players prior to the 2011 lockout as he was helping Roger Goodell negotiate a new CBA.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes Mike Shula should receive the kind of consideration Adam Gase and Josh McDaniels will this offseason for head-coaching positions after overhauling Newton from a one-read college quarterback to a Pro Bowler in the NFL. The former Alabama coach has been with the Panthers since 2011, as the quarterback coach before becoming the OC in 2013.
  • The man who helped hire Dave Gettleman to succeed Hurney in North Carolina, former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi, will provide a big boost by aiding the Lions‘ GM search, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Accorsi also helped the Falcons and Bears hire their current GMs, Thomas Dimitroff and Ryan Pace, respectively.
  • Jeremy Lane looks to make his season debut this week, with the Seahawks set to activate the cornerback who’s been sidelined since Super Bowl XLIX, Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk reports. “Jeremy’s going to be active,” Pete Carroll told media. “And if he makes it through the week okay, he’s going to be dressing and playing.” Lane tore his ACL after intercepting Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. After the Seahawks benched recently signed Cary Williams in favor of DeShawn Snead on Sunday, Lane will compete with those performers to for Seattle’s right cornerback job across from Richard Sherman, Crabtree reports.

NFC Notes: Gabbert, Lions, Packers, Seahawks

November 21st, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Three years ago, in the midst of a run to the playoffs, the 49ers elected to replace starting quarterback Alex Smith with backup Colin Kaepernick. That decision paid major dividends for a couple of years before the 49ers’ coaching staff and roster fell apart and Kaepernick’s career went off the rails.

With Kaepernick now on injured reserve and likely done in San Francisco, new starter Blaine Gabbert has a chance to follow in Smith’s footsteps and revive his career. Long before he lost his job to Kaepernick, Smith was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft. He was maligned with the 49ers until 2011, when he turned his career around. Smith has since been an effective starter for both the Niners and Chiefs, and it isn’t crazy to suggest Gabbert could go down a similar road, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle opines.

Gabbert was the 10th overall pick in 2011 and had three woeful seasons in Jacksonville before joining the 49ers last year. He made his first start with the team Nov. 8 and helped lead it to a 17-16 win over the Falcons, going 15 of 25 for 185 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. As Branch writes, Gabbert has seven more starts to show 49ers brass what he’s capable of, and he could make a big statement in Seattle on Sunday. That will clearly be a tall order against the NFC’s top-ranked pass defense. Regardless, 49ers offensive coordinator Geep Chryst is hopeful Gabbert can be Smith 2.0.

“There were some similarities to what we felt Alex Smith went through,” said Chryst, who was the 49ers’ quarterbacks coach from 2011-12. “And we felt like Blaine had all this talent and, as a young player, maybe a change of scenery would be good for him.”

More on the 49ers and some other NFC teams:

  • In a scathing piece, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News refers to 49ers brass as “bizarre and mindlessly cryptic” for how it handled Kaepernick’s injury. Kawakami likens the end of Kaepernick’s time in San Francisco to that of former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, whose battle with the front office led to his departure after last season.
  • Though the Lions are sitting near the bottom of the league at 2-7, their general manager opening is highly appealing, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com submits. The reasons: Detroit’s abundance of draft picks, positive salary cap situation, the return of injured linebacker DeAndre Levy in 2016, and the likelihood of the new GM having full autonomy over the football department.
  • The 6-3 Packers might play Sunday’s crucial game against NFC North rival Minnesota (7-2) with only four receivers, as Jared Abbrederis is out, Ty Montgomery is doubtful and, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky (Twitter link), the team won’t call up Ed Williams from the practice squad. Green Bay is on a three-game losing streak and one contributing factor has been a decline in the passing game, so having a minimal amount of targets probably won’t help Aaron Rodgers‘ cause against the Vikings – who have been stingy against quarterbacks this year. Their defense ranks eighth in the league in aerial yardage allowed, ninth in yards per attempt and 12th in passer rating.
  • The Seahawks will wait another week to activate cornerback Jeremy Lane, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. Lane, who suffered ACL and wrist injuries in the Super Bowl last February, came off the physically unable to perform list two weeks ago and has been practicing since. If the Seahawks don’t activate him for their Nov. 29 game against the Steelers, they’ll have to place him on season-ending IR.

NFC Notes: JPP, Bradford, 49ers, Megatron

November 4th, 2015 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Jason Pierre-Paul is practicing for the Giants, and while the team had initially been eyeing a Week 10 showdown with the undefeated Patriots as a target date for JPP’s return to the field, it sounds like he could play in Week 9 against the Buccaneers (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News).

As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter), Pierre-Paul’s one-year deal with the Giants was set up to be based on seven weeks’ worth of playing-time incentives and per-game roster bonuses. However, if JPP makes his season debut this weekend, he would have eight weeks to try to earn those bonuses and incentives.

As we wait to see if Pierre-Paul is activated for the Giants’ next game, let’s round up some more odds and ends from across the NFC….

  • If the Eagles offered Sam Bradford a four-year contract extension at some point, it sounds like that’s news to him, as the veteran quarterback told reporters today (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “That offer must have gotten lost in the mail,” Bradford said.
  • Colin Kaepernick likely hasn’t started his last game for the 49ers, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who says that the team hopes to get the quarterback back on the field in the second half, believing he has too much talent to simply give up on him. While the Niners may feel that way today, continued ineffectiveness from Kaepernick down the stretch could result in him being traded or even released in the offseason.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, writing for The Sporting News, sounds more skeptical that Kaepernick will see much playing time during the remainder of the 2015 season, and suggests the 49ers will likely find a way to move on from their quarterback in the offseason.
  • Asked if he asked the Lions to consider moving him prior to the trade deadline, wide receiver Calvin Johnson replied that he hasn’t thought about anything like that, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “No, I haven’t got to a point where I’ve said that,” Johnson said. “I’m just always trying to play ball. I love my teammates, so that hasn’t crossed my mind.”
  • Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane is on track to return to practice next Monday after spending the season’s first nine weeks on the physically unable to perform list, writes Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. Lane’s return to practice would begin a three-week clock for the Seahawks to either move him to the active roster or shut him down for the year.

PUP, NFI Players Soon Eligible To Practice

October 19th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the Giants and Eagles, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many clubs could be welcoming injured players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to the practice field.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player currently on the PUP list could return to the field for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest.

The rules for NFI players are similar to those for PUP players. If a player on either reserve list doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, his 2015 season will officially be over.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list who can begin practicing as soon as this Tuesday:

And here are the players currently on their teams’ non-football injury or illness lists, who are also eligible to begin practicing this Tuesday:

  • Arizona Cardinals: WR Damond Powell
  • Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin
  • Cincinnati Bengals: T Cedric Ogbuehi
  • Cleveland Browns: DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, TE Randall Telfer, RB Glenn Winston
  • Dallas Cowboys: LB Mark Nzeocha
  • Houston Texans: T David Quessenberry
  • Kansas City Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray
  • San Francisco 49ers: WR DeAndre Smelter
  • Seattle Seahawks: DT Jesse Williams

In addition to monitoring players on the PUP and NFI lists, it’s worth keeping an eye on players who have been placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this IR-DTR spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that a player who was placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing on Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible to return to game action until Week 9. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after Week 1 will have to wait until next Tuesday – October 27 – to return to practice, while other IR-DTR players will have to wait until November to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as Tuesday:

NFC Links: Romo, Davis, Seahawks

June 6th, 2015 at 5:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL nixed next month’s inaugural National Fantasy Football Convention headed by Tony Romo due its proximity to casino property. The event was set for July 10-12 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

Romo and other players who planned to participate could’ve been fined or suspended by doing so since it’s been a long-held league policy that players and personnel cannot hold events at casinos or participate in those connected to them. The sessions, however, were going to ensue at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, which doesn’t have gambling on site.

Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and others were set to join Romo at this event. The contingent of players was reportedly due more than $1MM in appearance fees.

“NFL has canceled our fantasy football convention this year in Vegas and that is disappointing. I’m sad for the fans and players,” Romo tweeted.

Here are some other late-afternoon notes from the NFC.

  • Jim Tomsula learned of Anthony Davis‘ plans via text message before Friday’s OTA practice, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News reports. Inman notes some 49ers players likely knew of Davis’ intentions, but when one overheard it from a staffer, he replied, “Are you serious?” Inman designates Trent Brown as the primary successor option on the right edge.
  • In light of Junior Galette‘s recent pectoral injury that has him seeking additional opinions before committing to a recovery course of action, the Saints may further limit their top pass-pursuer to pass-rushing situations only when and if he returns this season, Nick Underhill of TheAdvocate.com reports. Anthony Spencer will have more of a certain role now, and Cameron Jordan may have to rush mostly from the outside on passing downs instead of taking on guards from a defensive tackle slot as he did at points last season.
  • Of the Legion of Boom bastions that reportedly needed offseason surgery, only Earl Thomas underwent a procedure, while Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor are now fully healthy despite avoiding operations, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Jeremy Lane, however, likely won’t be ready for the start of the season with knee and arm maladies. Will Blackmon as a result has the inside track on the Seahawks‘ nickel spot.
  • Down about 30 pounds to 320, Alvin Bailey will almost certainly be the Hawks’ new left guard, replacing the departed James Carpenter, notes Condotta in a series of observations from Seattle’s OTA sessions.

 

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